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- 200K Residents
- $7B County GDP
- $37,011 GDP per Capita
Santa Rosa County
Santa Rosa County
Santa Rosa County is in Florida's western Panhandle between Escambia and Okaloosa, anchored by Milton (county seat) and the fast-growing Pace and Navarre/Gulf Breeze areas. The economy mixes Pensacola-commuter housing, NAS Whiting Field, defense contracting, and Gulf-Coast tourism. The Clerk & Comptroller (Jason D. English) runs Civitek records and a clerk-operated tax deed system.
Property in Santa Rosa
What every owner, heir, and investor should know.
Owning a home in Santa Rosa.
Santa Rosa is a high-growth Panhandle market with strong demand from Pensacola/Eglin commuters and military families.
- Florida Homestead Exemption and Save Our Homes apply.
- Tax bills Nov 1; discounts through February; delinquent April 1.
- Wind, flood, and roof age dominate insurance pricing on Navarre Beach and Gulf Breeze.
- Tax deed redemption to day of sale (Ch. 197, F.S.).
- Foreclosure surplus rights under § 45.032, F.S. (60 days).
Investing in Santa Rosa.
Santa Rosa offers strong vacation-rental and military-rental investment plus growing suburban demand inland.
- Foreclosure auctions on santarosa.realforeclose.com.
- Tax deed sales on santarosa.realtaxdeed.com.
- Property Appraiser at srcpa.gov.
- Court records via Civitek OCRS (county/57).
- Watch for Navarre Beach short-term rental restrictions, base-encroachment overlays, and septic-to-sewer mandates.
After a Santa Rosa foreclosure or tax deed sale.
Santa Rosa uses Florida's judicial foreclosure process and runs Ch. 197 tax deed sales online via RealAuction.
- Foreclosures filed in the 1st Judicial Circuit.
- Surplus claim window: 60 days under § 45.032, F.S.
- Tax certificates sold yearly; tax deed application after 2 years.
- Notices published in the Santa Rosa Press Gazette.
Courts and records in Santa Rosa.
- Santa Rosa County Courthouse — 6495 Caroline St, Milton, FL 32570 — 1st Judicial Circuit
- 1st Judicial Circuit (Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton)
- First District Court of Appeal — Tallahassee
- Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller — Jason D. English, Esq. — (850) 981-5554 — santarosaclerk.com
- Property Appraiser — Greg Brown — 6495 Caroline St — srcpa.gov
- Tax Collector — Stan Colie Nichols — 6495 Caroline St — srctc.com
- Sheriff — Bob Johnson — 5755 E Milton Rd, Milton